Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

surrender

Be Holy

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Never underestimate the wisdom of those who came before us. Today’s messaging is slick, and the messengers are even slicker, but most of what passes for wisdom these days is fluff and void of any scriptural moorings. There is great value to be gleaned from those voices from the past. Consider this from the writings of J. C. Ryle:

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“Sin never announces itself to us with its full intentions. It never says, ‘I am your deadly enemy and I want to ruin you forever in Hell’. It shows its pleasure but hides its pain; shows its sparkle, but hides its death.” None of us is immune from sin’s deception. To survive, we must heed the Lord’s command to be holy, just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).

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Serve the Lord

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The single focus of our lives must be to serve the Lord. We know this is God’s will for everyone because the greatest commandment given by God is to love the Lord with all your heart, strength, mind, and soul (Mark 12:28-31; Deuteronomy 6:5). Everything we do for Him is an act of worship to Him. This is easy to understand but very hard for us to do on a consistent basis, every hour of every day of our lives.

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We get tired, frustrated, discouraged, and if we’re honest with ourselves, we get selfish. Our selfish desires are the greatest impediment to living a life that is wholly devoted to Christ. Paul encourages us in this way: “Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord” (Romans 12:11). This should be the mantra that drives us all.

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Whatever the Cost

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How many times have you read that to follow Jesus, you must pick up your cross daily (Luke 9:23)? How many times have I written those words? Every Christian acknowledges their faith requires them to pick up that cross, but have you ever taken the time to understand the full ramifications of that commitment? We say we’ll follow Jesus whatever the cost, but did you ever stop to calculate that cost?

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If you’re like me, you often think of Christians who face persecution for their faith. We swear we will never deny our Lord, no matter how much pressure or abuse we must suffer. That’s an important place to come to in your growth as a Christian, but how about when the cost is not so high or obvious? Will you still follow Him no matter what (Matthew 10:38-39)?

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Be Transformed

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There are many verses and phrases in the Bible that we read, but never take the time to consider what they mean. One example would be Romans 12:2, where Paul exhorts us to not be conformed to this age but to be transformed. I know we don’t understand this verse because simple observation reveals most Christians are living lives of conformity to the world rather than demonstrating any kind of transformation.

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To be a follower of Jesus demands we abandon the way things used to be and embrace the superior way of the Father (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). Transformation is not a one-time decision; it is a lifelong change of direction that requires a 180-degree turn in every area of our lives (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We turn from our desires and towards God’s holy plan.

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A Living Sacrifice

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Are you living your life as a living sacrifice to God (Romans 12:1)? It is what God commands us to do, but how many of us understand what this means, much less are doing it? Jesus gave His life for us, a perfect sinless sacrifice for every sin we have ever or will ever commit. His death was the sacrifice needed to assuage God’s wrath over our sins (Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8-9).

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His sacrifice became the model for how each of us is to conduct their lives (1 Peter 2:21; Ephesians 5:1-2). We aren’t perfect and never will be. At the same time, we are called to be holy, just as He is holy (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). There aren’t some commands of God that we can take seriously and others we can disregard. If we love Him, we will keep all His commands (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6).

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